Fiona Garlick b. 1968

Born in England, Fiona lived in Kenya and Zimbabwe before immigrating to New Zealand in 1976. Her first degree was a BA in English Literature at Victoria University Wellington. After 15 years working as a documentary director and producer, she had the desire to complete a Fine Arts degree. Living in London at the time, she began with an Arts Foundation course at Camberwell College of Art before moving to Cornwall to study at Falmouth College of Arts. It was here that Fiona made her first bronze medal The Wave, which won first Prize for the British Art Medal Society Student Award in 2005. Fiona moved home to Auckland in 2006 and graduated from Elam School of Fine Arts with a BFA (Honours).

Fiona now lives in Arrowtown, Otago and is practicing full time as a sculptor, predominantly in bronze. Her work is very much influenced by her environment with the pervasive theme of Charming Invaders – a response to the historical landscape of Central Otago and the wider tension between introduced and native species of flora and fauna in New Zealand.

Fiona is passionate about sculpture being a public experience and has exhibited in many outdoor sculpture shows including Stoneleigh Sculpture in the Gardens at the Auckland Botanic Gardens, NZ Sculpture on Shore, Tai Tapu Sculpture Gardens and Sculpture on the Peninsula in Christchurch. She has also had work installed at Brick Bay Sculpture Trail. 

It was whilst taking part in Sculpture in the Gardens that she was introduced to members of Medal Art New Zealand (MANZ) who invited her to join the group. It is this collaboration that has allowed her to develop and refine her skills in the art of bronze and has led to several commissions.